Next stop for Kopech? Chicago White Sox starting rotation
On Tuesday, top outfield prospect Eloy Jimenez visited the Chicago White Sox and unabashedly proclaimed he was ready to play in the major leagues right now.
On Wednesday, top pitching prospect Michael Kopech dropped in on the Sox. The 21-year-old righty was not quite as bold as Jimenez, but his confidence was far from lacking.
"I brought my glove if they need me," Kopech said.
The White Sox are much more interested in his arm, and Kopech should be on the major-league roster for good at this time next year if this season is any indication.
"He's a very even-keeled young man, very mature," Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "I think he's growing in confidence, I think I can see that with him.
"Obviously, anybody we've spoken to about him shares the fact that he is a confident man with trust in the stuff that he has and that continues to grow, and not in an arrogant way but in a quiet confidence type of approach, which we love. I hope he continues to develop."
Acquired from the Boston Red Sox in the Chris Sale trade, Kopech was highly regarded heading into the season. The hard-throwing Texan showed why.
In 25 combined starts with Class AA Birmingham (22) and AAA Charlotte (3), Kopech was 9-8 with a 2.88 ERA.
His 172 strikeouts (in 134⅓ innings) were the fifth-highest total in the minor leagues, and Kopech also pitched in the Futures Game.
"It's been a lot of fun for me," Kopech said of his season.
"There was a lot that I got the opportunity to experience, and the promotion to Charlotte topping it off was a really exciting time for me and I was glad to be able to finish strong."
In his 3 starts at Triple-A, Kopech was 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 15 innings.
Relief pitcher Jace Fry joined the Sox from Birmingham on Tuesday. The lefty spent most of the season with Kopech in Double-A and was impressed by the young starter.
"He's got his head on straight," Fry said. "He's determined. I like his poise. He's an aggressive, attacking-the-zone type of pitcher. And for him to sustain what he does every day for five, six, seven innings, it's kind of unbelievable."
Kopech is well known for his 100 mph fastball, but he also has been able to develop his secondary pitches this season.
"I think when you have the kind of stuff that he has, he does have swing-and-miss stuff, and we all know guys that have swing-and-miss stuff many times end up driving their pitch counts up," Renteria said. "I think experience will start to share with them what they need to know in terms of what kind of mix they need to present in a particular at-bat."